Expansion bracelet



April 3, 1956 A. BOHLINGER EI'AL 2,740,569

EXPANSION BRACELET Filed April 7, 1954 INVENTORS ERA/57' ADOLF BOHLl/VGER &- SAMUEL FRIEDMAN AT TORNE Y United States Patent EXPANSION BRACELET Application April 7, 1954, Serial No. 421,484

3 Claims. (Cl. 224-4) This invention relates to bracelets and more specifically to bracelets of the expandable type.

One of the objects of the invention is an inexpensive expansion bracelet where the expansion part is limited to a portion or section only of the entire bracelet, and more particularly forms a portion of a central decoration piece supported on the bracelet.

Another object of the invention is to provide an expandable bracelet with a minimum number of pivotable links whereby, these links also form part of a decorative piece or pattern supported on the bracelet.

Still another object of the invention is a bracelet including a very small number of pivotable links permitting expansion, and a springy wrist portion in the form of a simple longitudinal element such as a spring wire attached to these pivotable links and controlling expansion and contraction of the bracelet.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a bracelet supporting a decorative center piece, edge portions of which are pivotable around or with respect to the main portion thereby permitting expansion and contraction of the bracelet.

In another embodiment of the invention pivotable links of the bracelet form in the assembled or contracted position of the bracelet circumferential parts of the main decorative piece.

In a further embodiment of the invention in assembled position, the link portions are arranged to form parallel sections to the main piece.

In still another modification of the invention in assembled or unexpanded position, one of the link portions is arranged to underlie a main portion, while the other link is arranged overlying a main portion, or conversely.

These and other objects of the invention will be more fully apparent from the drawings annexed herewith in which Figs. 1 and 2 show a bracelet in side and front elevations respectively and in contracted or unexpanded position.

Fig. 3 shows a front elevation of the bracelet in expanded position.

Fig. 4 shows the pivoting or linking parts in side elevation and at an enlarged scale.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show all in top elevation another type of bracelet expandable in accordance with this invention and in diilerent positions of expansion.

Fig. 8 shows the pivoting links of the bracelet of Figs. 5, 6 and 7 in side elevation and at an enlarged scale.

In Figs; 9 and 10, in front elevation and in expanded and unexpanded positions, respectively, a watch supporting bracelet is shown wherein one of the links is formed by the watch case itself, while a watch cover for the watch is controlled by the pivoting movement of another link so as to permit exposure of the watch face by a simple expansion movement of the bracelet.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the bracelet is shown to consist of a wrist portion including an elastic metal wire 1 made for example of steel or gold which in the particular embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is covered or surrounded by a metal spiral 2.

Spring wire 1 permits expansion and contraction under control of its elastic and inherent spring force.

There are attached to spring wire 1 at opposite ends thereof two curved or circular shaped link portions 3, 4 preferably of decorative appearance, rigidly attached with one of their ends 5 to wrist wire 1 and pivotably attached with the other of their ends 6 to a decorative main or center piece 7 matching with the pattern exhibited by links 3, 4 in the assembled or contracted position of the bracelet which is shown in Fig. 2.

Movement of links 3, 4 from the contracted position shown in Fig. 2 to the expanded position shown in Fig. 3 occurs by manually expanding parts 1 and 2 in the direction of arrows 8, 9 (Fig. 1) against the inherent force of spring wire 1. Thereby links 3, 4 will be moved in the direction of arrows 10, 11 (Fig. 2) turning about pivots 6 which are shown in Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale. By relaxing the manual pressure exerted in the direction of arrows 8, 9 the bracelet under control of spring wire 1 will return automatically from the expanded position at Fig. 3 into its contracted position shown in Fig. 2.

In the modification of Figs. 5, 6, 7 the wrist portion consists of a single spring wire 12. Links 13, 14 are shown to consist of prolonged or extended portions 15, 16 of spring wire 12 to which there are attached decorative parts 17, 18.

Links 13, 14 pivotable about points 19, 20 are attached to center piece 21.

In the contracted position shown in Fig. 5 parts 13, 14, 20 are substantially parallel thereby forming a complete pattern or decoration.

While gradually expanding as shown in Fig. 6against the force of spring wire 12-links 13, 14 rotate about axes 19, 20 with respect to center piece 21 and in the completely expanded position shown in Fig. 7 permitting the bracelet to he slipped over the wrist. In the example of Figs. 5, 6, 7 the fully expanded position shown in Fig. 7 is a stabilized one: Center piece 21 is bent over, ermitting links 13, 14 to rotate still further about axes 19, 20 with respect to center piece 21 thereby allowing these parts to assume the fixed relative positions shown in Fig. 7.

Pivots 19, 20 are shown in Fig. 8 in an enlarged scale and in side elevation.

In the modification of Figs. 9 and 10, the controlling spring wire is indicated at 22. Fixedly attached thereto, there are two circularly curved link portions 23, 24, the outer ends of which are rotatably hinged about axes 25, 26 to fit along the circumference of a covering disc 28 representing a decorative-and preferably periorated center piece or center portion.

In the assembled or contracted position of the bracelet, cover 28 is circumferentially surrounded by circular parts 23, 24.

By manually expanding wrist wire 22, links 23, 24 will be caused to rotate about hinge axes 25, 26 respectively thereby exposing watch 29 attached to a convex or inner portion of link 24 and thus permitting the time to be read while at the same time serving the purpose of any expansion bracelet, namely to be slipped on or olt the wrist by way of expansion.

The invention is not limited to the number, arrangement, type, shape or form of links, center pieces, decorative portions and Wrist portions shown and described but can be applied in any form or manner whatsoever with out departing from the scope of this disclosure.

We claim:

1. A bracelet comprising an elastic ring shaped wrist portion, a center portion and intermediate links pivotably connecting center and wrist portions, at least one of Sididllinks having a'awatchxase attached thereto and said centerportion having a watch vcover attached thereto with two pivots being arranged along its periphery and said link being connected at one send to one pivot and having saidtwatchcaseperipherally fixedly attached to it, and

being connected with its other end to one :end of said wrist portion; and the otherlin'k.beingconnected at one end ,tot'the, other-pivotand atits -.otherend beingfixedly attached tothe other end ofsaid wristportion; said watch cover being arranged 'in a-plane;substantially parallel to and adjacent said watchtcasezto perrnit said watch cover to assume onepredeterminfidgposition in superimposition :with respect to said=watcht=caseand anotherposition away from andexposing said watch vcase.

i 2. Bracelet according to claim 1 wherein said links "are circular sections fitting circumferentially along the p eriphery of said watch cover.

3. Bracelet according to claim 1 wherein said watch is fixedly attached to the concave side of one of said links.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 423,246 Hartje Mar. ll, 1890 820,645 Inman May 15, 1906 FOREIGN PATENTS 738187 France ...Dec,:22, 1932 

